Of A Different Kind
by Anisky
Summary: Far in the future, a girl is far from home and she doesn't know why. She finds another like her, and going home turns out to be harder than she thought it would be ...
1. Lost and Found (and Lost Again)

##  Of A Different Kind, Part 1 

_ By AniSky _

Disclaimer: The Yeerks, their host species and the Animorphs don't belong to me, they belong to   
K A Applegate/Scholastics. I'm making no money with this. Oh, and I know that SORT OF used Anne McCaffrey's term for people with paranormal powers, but I started writing this with that term BEFORE I read _ To Ride Pegasus _ or _ Pegasus in Flight, _ so that's NOT where I got the term from. I got it from my head. 

A/N:  
The beginning may not seem to be an Animorphs story, but don't worry, we'll be meeting up with some Animorphish things, and even some Animorphs, original Animorphs. It takes a while to _get_ to that part, but don't worry, after about 50 KB, we'll get to it. Oh, and this is pretty far in the future, I won't tell you how far, you'll figure it out at the end, and there are, well, paranormal people, for lack of a better term, as you will learn in the story.   
The term "PT" is used both to describe a talent that comes from the supernatural that can't be explained, such as telepathy and telekinesis, i.e. Her _ PT _ was telempathy. It is also a term for a person with such a talent, i.e. She is a PT, since she can use telepathy. 

I would also like to thank Tobiasrulz. Without her bugging me about finishing it, I never would have. I'd also like to thank my real-life twin, also known as Andamorph, for being my, well, editor of sorts.   
Well, enough of me rambling on. Enjoy! 

_ Prologue _

Rachel looked at the capsules. Ax had decided to fight with his people, but the Animorphs wouldn't fight until later. Years later, decades later, maybe even centuries later. All they had to do was climb into the capsules, and they would freeze, and the Animorphs would stay in stasis until the technology to revive them was great enough. 

Rachel looked over to Tobias and smiled at him. With the new nothlit cure, Tobias was now a morphing human, and they had a darling little 7-year-old daughter, named Rya. She'd already shown amazing mental skills; off the charts for her age. 

She daintily stepped into the capsule next to Tobias's, and held his hand until he got into his. 

"Until we're needed." She whispered to him. 

"We shall die, until we live again." He whispered back. There was a hissing sound. That was the last thing either of them remembered. 

####  Chapter 1 

Keranya sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She stood up and brushed herself off. Everything here seemed so . . . relaxed. Laid back. Nothing like her old home in Kuru. Why, the kids here even had two days off of school a week, and almost _ 2 1/2 months _ off in the summer. Back in Kuru, the only time's they'd have off was Anniversary, Victory Day, and Michael Rampart's Birthday! And the amount of unhealthy stuff here . . . well, the only day they'd get candy back in Kuru was on Anniversary and Michael Rampart's Birthday! The only reason Victory Day was observed in Kuru was because it was celebrated everywhere in the world. 

If any of Keranya's Teachers or Peers knew where she was, well . . . she didn't know what they'd do. She knew that they'd be amazed and horrified. She'd been there 12 days, and she wasn't a bit more used to it. 

"Hey, 'Ranya!" yelled Shiala, breaking Keranya out of her thoughts, "What's up with you?" 

"Nothing!" she called back. Although normally she'd never be able to become close to anyone here, them being 'danes and all, she'd used her "suggestions" to make them like her. Sometimes telempathy came in handy. Keranya felt awfully bad doing it, since if she'd been taught anything in life, she'd been told that she shouldn't use her Talents with immutes and mundanes. (A/N: Also known, in "slang", as 'mutes and 'danes, used by the Talented, who are people with certain mind powers, to describe people without such powers. 'Danes are MUCH more common then PTs (which stands for Psychic Talent), and so are 'mutes, but 'mutes are less common then 'danes, having a mental shield that only the strongest telepaths can break through to read thoughts. They are, however, subject to "suggestions" from empaths and strong telepaths can read them. Now, wasn't that a long Author's Note???) However, if she wanted to survive here, she couldn't alienate herself from the others, and she, being a PT, would never had fit in otherwise. PTs never got on very will with 'mutes and 'danes. They were just too different. Keranya just made sure she didn't invade anyone's privacy by going into anyone's head. 

"Well, what were you doing on the ground?" asked Shiala. 

Keranya, of course, couldn't tell her that she was trying with her telekinesis to pick herself up. She probably shouldn't have done anything when people might be watching, not if she wanted to keep her cover. "I . . . I fell down," responded Keranya. Her answer was true enough; she _ had _ fallen. 

"Yeah, well, whatever. Did you know that there's supposed to be someone new coming to school tomorrow?" 

"What's so big about that? There are plenty of new people."" 

"Yeah, well, they didn't tell where he was from. Come to think of it . . ." she cocked her head at Keranya "they didn't tell where you were from, either." 

Keranya sighed. _ You don't care where she was from. It's not weird that they didn't say where she was from, _ she sent into Shiala's head, planting the suggestion. 

"Never mind," said Shiala. "It doesn't matter where you come from," she clarified slowly. "It's so exciting! Someone whom we don't know where they came from. Hey, for all we know, they could come from Kuru! They could be a secret PT!" 

Startled by Shiala's exclamation, which was right on the mark for Keranya, she just said, "I very much doubt that." 

"Yeah, you're right. You weren't a PT from Kuru, after all." 

Keranya swallowed hard. Being around mostly telepaths all her life, Keranya had literally never lied. She'd have been found out immediately. Lying was very foreign to her. She changed the subject. "Have you been following the news?" 

"Yeah. The Yeerk war?" 

"Yep. The Animorph Alliance forced the Yeerks off the Hork-Bajir homeworld and freed some hundreds of Hork-Bajir." 

"Have you ever wished that you were an Animorph?" 

"Well . . . no. They live a hard, hard life. Did you know that if you were an Animorph, there's a 1 in 18 chance that you'd already be dead? And that Animorphs' average life span is about 45 years? 

"I did know that. But the Animorphs who do survive live to be really old, and fit until they die. Besides, they're worshipped as heroes. I guess I don't really want to be an Animorph. You know what I want to be?" 

"What?" asked Keranya, pretty sure that she knew. 

"I want to be a PT. They are basically worshipped, too, and they have all these powers and have a long life span." 

"PTs have hard lives too." 

"Like what?" 

"Did you know that they have to go to school 7 days a week? That they have the normal 7 hours of "normal" subjects, and then 3-4 hours of learning to control their abilities? That they have 3 days off from school a year, 2 of them celebrating a day having to do with the founding of the PTC? (A/N: PTC stands for Parapsychic Talents Center.) They get 1 present on the anniversary of the creation of the PTC, and that's it for the year? They don't really even have families; they're in dorms for most of their childhood?" 

"Actually, I didn't know. How do you know so much about PTs and PTC?" 

"It's always been a . . . well, an interest of mine," she said aloud. To Shiala's head, she sent with telempathic suggestion: _ It's perfectly normal for her to know so much about it. _

"Anyway," said Keranya, changing the subject yet again, "are you ready for that test today?" 

"Yeah. I've been studying the original Animorphs and the driving out of the Yeerks by PTs and the Animorphs for what seems like forever." 

"Cool. You'll do well on the test. School starts in half an hour, you know. 

* * * 

Keranya looked at the test, carefully reading it over before answering anything. 

Name____________________ Date______________________ Period___________ 

1. What characteristic of PTs rendered them impossible for the Yeerks to infest?   
A. They could annoy the Yeerks.   
B. They could take control of the Yeerks instead of the other way around.   
C. Whenever the Yeerks infected them, the Yeerk would be forced back out immediately by some unknown force.   
D. They could use their power of suggestion on the Yeerks to make them want what the PT wanted. 

2. Who was the unofficial leader of the Animorphs?   
A. Rachel   
B. Cassie   
C. Michelle   
D. Jack   
E. Jake   
F. Marco   
G. None of the above 

3. Marco's mother was a high-ranking Controller until she was discredited. Who was she? 4. 

A. Councilor Thirteen   
B. Visser 7   
C. Visser 1   
D. Councilor Nine   
E. Visser 3 

4. What were the names of the _ original _ Animorphs? (Circle all that apply)   
A. Cassie H. Rachel   
B. Amy I. Tony   
C. Nora J. Tobias   
D. Jake K. Lucy   
E. Marco L. Tara   
F. Michael M. Karen   
G. Michelle N. Melissa 

5. The full name of the Andalite who gave the Animorphs their morphing abilities was ___________ _________.   
6. The Andalite who joined the Animorphs shortly after they got their powers was named _________ ___________.   
7. What was the Elfangor's relationship with Aximili? __________________   
8. What was Elfangor's relationship with Tobias? ___________________   
9. Who was Aximili's human Shorm? __________ 10. What PT was the first one found by the Yeerks not to be infestable? __________________   
11. What was his specialty Talent? _________________________   
12. Who was the first director of the Animorphs Alliance? ____________________   
13. What shocking fact was found out about that director? ______________________________________ _________________________________________   
14. Called by the Animorphs the "blue box", what was the real name for the devise used to give a person their Morphing powers? ______________.   
15. Compare and contrast the lifestyles of an original Animorph and an early controller: ________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______. 

Keranya found the test pretty easy. For number 1, she circled C, since she'd been brought up with the fact. No Yeerk could infest a PT, although nobody quite knew why. For 2, she circled E, Jake, and for 3, she circled C, Visser 1. For 4, she concentrated a bit, and circled in order, A, D, E, H, J. She was fairly sure that Melissa and Karen wouldn't be counted as original Animorphs since they hadn't joined until a few years later. 5, she immediately put down Elfangor-Sirinal- Shamtul, although she wasn't sure of the spelling. 6, she thought a minute, biting her eraser, and wrote Aximili-Esgarroth-Istill, again unsure of the spelling, but it would have to do. 7 was Brother and 8 was Father. Those two questions gave away part of 5 and 6 in Keranya's estimation. 

For 9, she wrote Tobias. 10 and 11, since she had had those facts drilled into her head since she was 5, was so insanely easy to her that she almost laughed as she wrote down John Sheen, telekinetic. 

12 and 13 were just laughably easy to her. Janice Rodner, she was a latent PT, a telepath. For 14, she had to think a little before she wrote down Escafil Device. For 15, she thought long and hard before writing down: 

Original Animorphs and early Controllers both had to leave the house late at night and at other odd hours. They couldn't tell their families or friends what was going on. Animorphs, because they couldn't trust anyone, Controllers, because they couldn't control their bodies. Both of them went through a lot of stress and were sometimes on the verge of breakdowns. They, of course, were the only humans on the planet who knew of an alien invasion. The Animorphs, fighting it, the Controllers, victims of it. All in all, neither had a very nice life.  She figured that that probably would be enough. 

Giving her paper to the teacher, she noted that she was the first one finished the test. She also noted, as she sat back down, that Nicola knew the answers to PT questions, and didn't seem as sure of Animorph questions. Worth looking in to; she'd have to make a point of making friends with Nicola. 

Trying to delve into Nicola's mind, she found that Nicole had a mental shield, which immediately put her as a 'mute instead of a 'dane. Interesting. Very interesting . . . 

After everyone was done the test, the teacher turned on the HV (Holovision) to show a holovid. 

"Watch this," she said, "It shows some very interesting facts that most people don't know." 

As the holovid came on, everyone realized that the teacher was right. It showed some very interesting facts. 

"When the Animorphs finished ridding the Earth of Yeerks, they agreed to be put into stasis until technology became advanced enough for them to come out. Now, as technology gets better," said the holovid voice, "we may be able to bring them out of their frozen state, and have them come and fight again, as they did in their earlier years. When they come out, they will be about 27." 

Everyone was amazed. The original Animorphs? They weren't dead? They might even come and fight? It was too much to take in all at once. 

As the bell rang to the next class, everyone was talking. They were thinking so _ loudly _ that Keranya was almost in pain. Forget not listening in-- she was having trouble keeping it down to moderation, where she couldn't hear them so painfully _loud_! 

By the end of the day, everyone was buzzing, in his or her mind and mouth, about the holovid. Word was, it just came out yesterday, and we weren't even supposed to know. I heard from some people that they would go through with it really soon, and not tell people until they were all ready. But, hey, they were rumors. 

"Hey, Nicola!" yelled Keranya, jogging up behind her. "What's up?" 

Nicola turned around, slowly. "Why do you care?" 

"What do you mean, what do I care?" asked Keranya. Come to think of it, Nicola _did_ seem kind of antisocial. 

"Oh, come on!" she said. "You think that I'd believe that _ you'd _ want to be all friendly with _ me?_" 

"I just said hi." 

"Well, what do you want?" 

"I just noticed that you seem awfully interested in PT and the PTC and all. It happens to be an interest of mine, too." 

"So you want to talk to me about it? You, probably one of the most popular girls in school, want to talk to me?" 

"Hey! I wasn't very popular, before . . ." Keranya's voice drifted off. She'd said too much already. Keranya wasn't about to use telempathic powers on Nicola. She didn't want this to be forced. 

Nicola looked very surprised. "Before . . . what?" 

Keranya tried to think of something that wasn't a lie. "Before I moved." That much was true-- as soon as her PT came out of latently, she moved to Kuru, and there she was more "popular", among other PTs, in an organization with strict rules and a driving motivation to be smart and to get somewhere. Even latent PTs didn't exactly fit in with 'mutes and 'danes. 

"Before you moved . . . here?" 

Don't lie. "No." she confessed. 

"Where?" 

How can I answer this and not lie? "The place I was before I moved here." 

"The _name_ of it?" 

"I'll tell you that, _if_ you come to my apartment with me." 

Nicola seemed to consider. "Well . . . why not?" 

Keranya grinned. "C'mon, then!" 

Keranya, who wasn't living with an adult of any kind, still had her free suite that was given to anyone on file, which every PT was. They were not, however, always identified as PTs on file. Keranya, for one, wasn't. 

She led the way to her apartment, and used her wristband to open it. Once in, she shut the doors and used her telekinesis to turn off any recording devices that the apartment manager conveniently "forgot" to take out when she moved here. There were quite a few, actually. 

"Soooo . . ." Nicola said, nervously, "what did you want?" 

"To _talk_," said Keranya. 

"About . . ." 

"Why are you so interested in the PTC? Oh, jeez, take a seat. Sorry." 

"Well," said Nicola, taking a seat nervously, "I don't really know. I just find them . . . fascinating, you know? Like . . . drawn to them." 

Like a latent, realized Keranya. "Have you ever been tested for PT?" 

"Me? No. I'd never be a PT. I'm just a little 'dane." 

"Actually . . . you know when I said I'd tell you where I just came from?" 

"Yes . . ." 

"Well, I came from . . . Kuru. I'm not even supposed to be here. I don't know _why_ I'm here." 

"Yeah, right," snorted Nicola. "Tell me another one." 

"Really. Watch." Keranya concentrated on a book on her shelf, and it lifted into the air. She made it fly over to Nicola. When it got to her, she made it flip pages. "Go to page . . . 78." She said, and then made it flip to just that page. Seeing the look on Nicola's face, she grinned, and shut the book, making it fly back over to the shelf and carefully setting it down. 

"You're a kinetic?" she asked shakily. 

"Actually, I'm a kinetic, telepath, telempath. A tiny bit precognitive, but not very much. " "All four? That's really, _really_ rare, isn't it?" Then: Can you read my mind?" she asked, with a trace of panic in her voice. 

"Oddly enough, no. You seem to have a mental shield. Very strong, in fact, I've never met a mental shield that I couldn't get past. Until now." 

"You mean . . ." she said, putting both hands on her head, "I'm a 'mute, not a 'dane?" 

"Well . . . probably. Maybe." 

"Well, what? I mean, if I have a mental shield, I'm not a 'dane, right?" 

"Right. But you have all the characteristics of a latent PT." 

"Like what?" she asked, disbelieving. _ Or not letting herself believe, in case it's not true, _ thought Keranya. 

"Like your _very_ strong mental shield. Like your unusual and unaccounted for fascination of PTs. Like your antisocial attitude among 'danes." 

"_You_ seem social enough." 

"I'm a telempath. I've been one for a while." 

"Oh," said Nicola, seeming dazed. "Don't you have rules against that sort of thing?" 

"There are rules and then there are rules. I read nobody's mind and I did nobody harm. If I want to survive here, I can't very well alienate myself, can I? I invaded nobody's privacy." 

Nicola thought this over. "And you think that I'm a PT? I've never shown a trace of PT before." 

"If you're a latent PT, then you wouldn't have. Except for your mental shield." 

"Why did you tell me that you were a PT? Aren't you afraid that I'll tell? What did you mean by my "unaccounted for" fascination with PTs?" 

"Of course you always _ could _ tell. Anyone could. But you don't seem like the kind of person who'd tell a secret, and, at a certain point, there has to be some trust. And by "unaccounted for", I meant just what I said. Plenty of people have a fascination with PTs, but they have had someone close to them, possibly themselves, saved somehow by PTs. Like living in a town which was saved by kinetics at the brink of disaster. Or having a good friend who was falling off a building or something receive a safe landing thanks to a PT; something like that. Maybe PTs changed something in their life. Those are accounted for fascinations." 

"Oh. How would we know for sure if I'm a latent PT of just a 'mute?"

"I . . . I told you, I don't know why I'm here. I don't know how I got here. The last thing that I remember is . . ." her voice trailed off. "Well, anyway, I have no contact with the PTC or any other PTs right now." 

"Can't you use your telepathy and just . . . I don't know, think to them?" 

"Yes, I _ought_ to be able to _p'talk_ to someone, and that's what scares me the most, because I can't reach them. I _can't_! I've never _ not _ been able to before. Not since I'd gotten my psi, anyway." 

"That's weird. Any reason why?" 

"Well, my power has been dulled, all of it. Maybe that's why. It must be why. Kuru is pretty far from here, isn't it?" 

"You mean you don't know where this is?" 

"Not really, no," said Keranya, embarrassed. 

"Well, we're far away from Kuru." 

"That must be why." 

"What are you going to do?" 

"For now? Just sit tight, I guess, and wait for my psi to return fully. In the meantime, _you_ are going to become more social, so that if we talk before or after school, or in school, it won't look suspicious." Keranya, of course, would "suggest" to the others to like Nicola more, but Nicola didn't have to know that. 

Nicola nodded. 

* * * 

The schoolyard was in a buzz. The much-rumored-about new kid who they didn't say where he was from was coming to school today. Keranya briefly wondered why his previous home wasn't said, but then, there could be tons of reasons for that. It was beyond her foolish hope that it could be a similar reason to hers. She couldn't actually believe that, could she? While it was true that the universe--or fate?-- always saved her at the bad times; when her parents died when she was 4 and she was an orphan without a home she was identified as a PT and was given a home at Kuru; when she was hurt in an accident her latent kinetic ability emerged and that compensated until she was better a year later; when she was really little, and had just gotten lost at a big show, her parents had happened to be chosen to go onstage right then; well, it didn't necessarily mean that it would help her _ now_. She should take nothing for granted. 

He arrived late, a smiling face on as he walked into homeroom. To Keranya's surprise and delight, she could tell right away that he _ was_ a PT. 

_ Hi, hi! Can you tell me where I am, why I'm here, and can you _ please _ try to get me back to Kuru? _ she asked excitedly. 

He looked in surprise over at her. _ Keranya? We've been looking all over for you. How did you get here? _

_ You tell me. I have no idea. _

_ What are the chances that the place I happen to go to study 'danes happens to be where you were? _

_ I don't know. Not high. This is weird. _

The teacher, oblivious to the exchange, said: "Class, this is Mark Lures. He just moved here, as you well know. Mark, would you care to tell us something about yourself?" 

"Well . . ." he said, _ I come from Kuru, I'm a PT, telepath, a bit kinetic, I can read your minds, you're my lab rats for now, do you mind? _ he sent to Keranya, along with an image of the teacher standing open-mouthed with a comical expression on her mouth and the words "law suit against PTC" across her forehead. Keranya stifled a giggle, earning a stern and confused glance from the teacher, who didn't know the mental joke that Mark sent to Keranya. "Well," he said again, continuing, "My name is Mark Lures, as you know, I'm 14 years old." 

"Where are you from? All of us are quite interested in the, um, lack of info on you." 

_ You don't care where he's from, _ sent Keranya into the teacher's head, since Mark didn't seem to be an empath. As a safety measure, she sent it to all the students' heads, too. 

_ Thanks, Keranya, _ he sent to her, smiling. She smiled back. 

"So, Mark, here's your schedule. The bell will be ringing in just a few moments." She handed him the schedule. As if to confirm what she just said, the bell rang just then. Kids streamed out of the class to go to their first period. 

_ Hey, Keranya? _ "Keranya!" spoke aloud Mark after telepathically calling to her. She turned around to face him. 

"Where's xenobiology? It's my first period class." 

"Really? It's mine too. Here, it's this way. Follow me." She led him to Xenobiology class, and took her seat, leaving him at the front of the class. The teacher there, fortunately, was busy getting some sort of alien worm-thing ready for dissection, so he didn't ask any questions and just told Mark to take a seat next to Keranya. _ Hey, can I see your schedule? _ asked Keranya. _ I want to compare it to mine. _ He gave it to her. 

_ Well, we've got second period together too; we both have Advanced Math then. Algebra I. Nothing compared to math back at Kuru. It'll be a piece of cake. _

_ Would have to be. Can you believe that these people get 2 days _ a week _ off? _ Two whole _ months of the summer off, more in some districts? Jeez. _

_ I _ know! _ It's insane. How do they remember what they learned in school over the summer? _

_ I heard that their reading comprehension goes down 15% over the summer. _

_ It's ridiculous. _

"Keranya? Mark? Are you two paying attention?" 

"Yes, Mr. Wiles," then said. _ How did he notice? I'm usually very good at not showing a telepathic conversation. _

_ He can be very observant. Just be careful. Focus on him as we "talk". _ _ Okay. About the schedule? _

Keranya looked at the schedules. _ After that, you have French while I have Grammar. Those rooms are close together-- I'll just show it to you. Next, we obviously both have 8th grade lunch. After that-- _ Keranya gave a mental grimace-- _ we have "specials". These people think that music, physical education, computers, study hall, and stuff like that should actually be part of real school! Since we're in the same homeroom, we automatically have the same ones. 5th period is Phys Ed, 6th is Study Hall. I'll show you the rooms. 7th, you have Grammar while I have Spanish. Last period, we both have History. In History class, there's this girl I'll have to show you. I think she's a latent PT. _

Mark, who was doing very well pretending that he was listening with rapt attention on the teacher, who was explaining something that any child in Kuru would have learned 4 years ago, turned and looked with surprise at Keranya. _ What did you say? _

_ I _ think _ that she's a latent PT. She has a very strong mental shield, is very antisocial, and has a fascination with PTs. We ought to get her to a testing center immediately. Hey, look forward! You look suspicious! _

_ Yeah. We should do that, _ he said, looking slowly back at the teacher, who was looking at Mark with his arms crossed. "Sorry," murmured Mark. 

The teacher looked amused. _ Hey, _ said Keranya, _ If he "comments" to embarrass you, it'll embarrass me, too! _

_ Well, then, he's less likely to say anything, right? _

_ Don't be too sure. _

_ You're a telempath, right? So-- _ he stopped, sensing her sudden anger, _ What? _

_ That would be--_

"So, you're admiring our 'Ranya, huh? Aren't you a little young for that?" laughed Mr. Wiles, breaking up their little "conversation". Both Keranya and Mark turned bright red. The rest of the class tittered. Keranya glared at them angrily, sending them a suggestion that they were scared of her and didn't find what Mr. Wiles said funny. It only worked halfway, due to Keranya's embarrassment. Still, it was enough to make them stop due to nervousness. 

"Well, try to pay attention, okay? There's a test on this in a few days. Unless both of you already know this stuff front and back?" he asked with his arms crossed. 

_ Should we? _ asked Mark. 

_ Why not? _ she replied. 

_ One . . . two . . . three! _

"Yes, I do," they said aloud in unison. More titters from the class, which they could this time effectively ignore since they were getting amusement from the look on their teacher's face. 

"Well, then," he said, "how about you two take the test _now_?" 

"Sure," said Keranya. 

"Fine," said Mark. 

"Separately," said Mr. Wiles, giving them the papers and sending them to different parts of the room. 

_ Could he stop us from conversing? _ asked Mark. 

_ Do we need to? _ asked Keranya rhetorically. 

They both completed the test quickly. It was easy. As they turned them in, the teacher looked at them suspiciously. He graded them, right then, right there. Each question at a time, out loud. Each question, to his surprise, answered correctly. Including the extra credit. 

He slowly marked a large red 102% on the top of each paper. "You really did know it. Sorry," he said. Right then, the bell rang and both Keranya and Mark walked to Algebra I, smiling with triumph. 

_ Want to confuse the hell out of this teacher? _ asked Mark. 

Keranya grinned, rather wickedly. _ What, exactly, do you propose? _

_ Well . . . _ he sent a few images into her head. Saying things in unison. Saying just what the teacher had on her mind. Things flying in the air. 

_ Hold it, buddy, _ she said. _ Things flying through the air? Wouldn't that be a bit suspicious? And give us away? _

_ Well, discreetly. When she puts something one place, move it to another with kinesis. It'll confuse the Hell out of her. _

_ Isn't that kind of . . . cruel? _

_ Yep. _ He sent her a image of his face with a VERY evil grin on. She HAD to giggle. 

* * * 

After the day was over, and they had Nicola come to Mark's apartment, and Mark opened a secured channel to PTC. When the face of Chlyna Jerinkin, the director of training and development of PTs, came up of the screen, Keranya grinned a grin from ear to ear. 

"Keranya! We've been looking all over for you! Where have you been? How did you get there? Mark, how did you find her?" 

"I don't know. I don't know!" she sobbed. "I was just there once second, then a flash . . . and here the next. I just don't know," she cried, "But then Mark came, on some sort of-- what was it, a study?" 

Chlyna's face paled. "Oh my god. The serum . . . we didn't realize that you were that strong. I'm so sorry." 

"Serum? What serum?" 

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. Don't worry, if your powers are dulled they'll come back fully in about a week. Now," she said, abruptly changing the subject, "Who is _that_?" she asked, staring at Nicola. 

"Well . . ." said Keranya, nervously, "I think that she may be a latent PT." 

"How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Chlyna. 

"Nicola," she started, guiding her towards the screen, "is very anti-social, here, anyway; she has an unaccounted for fascination with PTs, and she has a mental shield hard as rock." 

"I see," said director of training and development. "Maybe you should bring her back with you, if only for a brief vacation if she doesn't turn up positive. Can I have your name?" 

"Nicola Knapp," she said. 

"Alright, Nicola," she said, typing it in, "Your number is GCC4789AA1?" 

"Yes, that's right," she said, a bit dazedly. 

"Alright, you three, I'll have a shuttle at your location . . . well, near it, anyway . . . to pick you guys up ASAP, as soon as I get permission from Nicola's parents . . . ah, there we go . . . well, expect a shuttle downward 30 minutes, okay? Mark-- I don't think that this phase of your education can quite continue right now." 

Mark and Keranya nodded tightly, and the screen blanked. 

_ Well, Mark, aren't you going to pack? _

_ Good idea. _

"I don't appreciate being left out." Nicola, of course. 

"Sorry," they said aloud in unison. 

_ Just don't make it as obvious. _

_ I _ know, _ I _ know! _ Jeez, I've probably been a PT as long as you have, Mark! _

This time, neither of them showed any indication that they were p'speaking to each other, and Nicola looked satisfied. Keranya went with Mark into the bedroom, standing by while he got packed. 

"Gee, you travel light, don't you?" she asked aloud, mildly amused. He had only a few pieces of clothing, and almost nothing of anything else. 

"I have to carry my own baggage," he responded, equally amused, if not more so. 

Keranya laughed. "_Mild_ kinesis, huh? I guess I take my strong kinesis for granted a bit too much." 

"Every PT has a tendency to take their powers for granted. I mean, how many telepaths stop and think about, say, how they can tell whether someone likes their idea? How many think about how they can get instant communication when they're in trouble?" 

"It's not a good habit." 

"But it pretty much _is_ granted for a PT. PT doesn't diminish over time or anything, the only time it leaves is artificially, which is what happened to you." 

"But we forget about the _other_ people." 

"What, 'mutes and 'danes?" he asked with disgust. Not disgust with Keranya; to her amazement, he was disgusted with the 'danes. Disgust, and . . . hatred. Bitter, strong hatred. 

"Mark?" _You're scaring me, _ she said, switching to thought.

_ Am I? _ he asked. _ Your parents died from an accident, didn't they? Just a normal accident? _

_ Yes. _ she said. Then, realizing what he was saying, muttered, "Oh, my god. Oh my god." 

_ Yes, _ he said. _My parents were killed by 'danes. Killed for being something that they couldn't help being. Killed because they . . . the _'danes_ . . . didn't want them to know their petty thoughts. They were afraid of my parents finding out their secrets. They took bats, beating them to death, telling them to get out of their heads, to stop hearing their thoughts. Well, _ said Mark, his hatred sharp, _ the only way they can stop hearing those thoughts is if those thoughts stop. _

Keranya gasped. _ I thought that sort of thing didn't happen anymore! _

_ In most places, they don't. My earlier childhood was in a . . . behind place. Backwards. _ to explain his statement, he sent her the gist of what he meant. 

_ So you now hate all 'danes. And 'mutes._

_ Yes. _ _ And yet you volunteered to stay among them for months, alone, to study them-- why? _

_ I have to understand 'danes to work among them; to know them in order to help the PTs among them. _

Keranya swallowed, and asked the question gnawing at her _ To understand them and know them . . . in order to kill them? _

Mark refused to answer. When Keranya tried to find the answer, he threw up a strong block. Keranya did not force the issue. Anyone who had been through what he had been through would hate the 'danes. She knew that; she knew that if she _ watched _ her parents get _ killed _ by 'danes because of their Talent, her hate would be just as strong, if not stronger, than his. 

Mark finished packing in silence and they walked out to Nicola. 

"C'mon," said Mark. "The transport must be here by now." 

They walked out of the apartment, and the shuttle was just pulling in. A door opened, and stairs leading up to that door came down. 

They walked up, getting inside the schedule. Nicola seemed very nervous, so after the shuttle lifted off, Keranya asked what was bothering her. 

"Well . . ." she said nervously, "If I am a PT, a latent one, or not, what will--" she faltered, and tried again, "will I--" faltering again, she glanced at Keranya to see if she understood what she meant. Keranya did. 

"Nicola," she said, gently, "If you are a PT, latent or no, you will stay at Kuru. If you are latent, you will attend school for latents, and will be prepared for when your Talent does emerge. If you are a PT already, you will get a personal tutor for 3-6 months, depending on how well you cope. That tutor will do normal lessons, as well as lessons on how to use your newfound powers." Keranya's eyes were compassionate and caring; she could feel Nicola's pain, even though she wasn't in her head in any way. 

"Then, I'll, never . . . never go home?" 

"Kuru _will_ be home. It may not feel like it now, but it always becomes home. For everyone." 

"But my home _now_. Will I never live there again? Never see my parents?" 

"Your parents, of course, will be allowed to visit," said Keranya smoothly. "You will not live with them, but once a PT, isolated among 'danes, comes to others of their kind-- well, I can tell you that it's a wonderful feeling. You feel like you just got home. You feel like you've found the answer to a question you've been asking forever. You feel like you have been looking for something all your life and suddenly, there, you found it. You feel, finally . . . whole." 

Nicola realized that Keranya was reciting some sort of passage, something that seemed very important and meaningful to her. Keranya, that is. "I don't need some sort of passage from some propaganda pamphlet." 

"Recited from memory through that passage may be, it's very, very true. Besides," she said, with a sardonic smile, "you don't know yet that you even are a PT. You may be despairing when there really is nothing to despair." 

Nicola seemed to accept that. That is, she nodded tightly, walked over to a chair, and sat down. 

Keranya looked at her for a moment with sympathy then shook her head clear and turned around to find Mark. 

And then-- there was a flash of light-- and nothing. 

A/N: We'll meet the Animorphs in the next part. It was *supposed* to be the SAME part, but my COMPUTER is acting up. ::sulk:: anyway, go read it! Please? 


	2. Changing Everything

## 

Of A Different Kind, Part 2 

For all the disclaimer and all, go to pt. 1. 

Just 'Now': Keranya looked at her for a moment with sympathy then shook her head clear and turned around to find Mark. 

And then-- there was a flash of light-- and nothing. 

* * * 

_ Was that _really_ necessary? _

"We couldn't let the shuttle reach Kuru. Not with Mark on it. Not with Nicola on it. And definitely not with Keranya on it." 

_ But did we really have to knock them out like that? _

"Do you really think that Keranya would come willingly?" 

_ I guess not. How long will they be out? _

"Only another couple of hours. Where's Mark?" 

_ Please use p'speech. Walls have ears. _

_ Do they? _

_ You can never be too careful. Why, exactly, can't these two get to Kuru? What are they to us? Where is Mark_

_ Mark is preparing the room. He'll come back soon. You were asking about Nicola and Keranya? For one thing, they are PTs, so they are something to us. Family. Never forget that, Daria. _

_ Yet when necessary we capture them, and vice versa? _

_ Yes. Sometimes we're not on the same side. Sometimes we capture, and maybe . . . in the future . . . even kill each other. But we are still family, still the same. And no matter what, we don't deserve to be dirtied by a Normal. Maybe we're not on the same side, but we have the same universal enemy. Do you see? _

_ I do see. But . . . are they the Yeerks, or the 'danes? _

_ Yeerks _are_ danes. Just of another species. _

_ But what of other species? Only two of them, besides us, have ever developed psychic talents. One of _ them _ is the entire planet. Unless you count the Andalites? _

_ No. The Leerans-- we can't be sure of them, to be one of us. Their whole species is already one. But . . . the Turanys-- they, I think, can be trusted. They are like us-- a minority, repressed, and the conditions there are still worse than ours. They are hunted down, if they resist they are killed, they have specific jobs and it's just more slavery then anything else. _

_ So, in the main dividing system, planets would be split? _

_ No. Not split. Just a few chunks here and there. _

_ Yes. But why are these three-- err, two? -- so important to us? _

_ Because of our precogs. It's very hazy, but we know that if they go back to Kuru, they'll end up having a new program out, and that program will bring us in. And we will not be _ able _ to get back out again. The other part is confusing, but they said that they just had a feeling that if we took them, Keranya would end the war. With the Yeerks. _

_ What? _ "How?" 

_ We don't know. We just know that she will. _

_ HEY! I thought that you said the gas would wear off in another 2 hours! _

_ Yes . . . _

"Well, what's that?" asked Daria out loud, pointing. 

Keranya was stirring, and opened her eyes. Once she saw her unfamiliar surroundings, she immediately jumped up, putting her blocks up immediately and standing with her arms up, ready to defend herself if necessary. 

_ Well, you've gotta admit, she's got spunk. _

Keranya smirked. "I do?" she asked out loud, showing that she could hear this unknown woman's p'speech. "Who are you? Why am I here? What do you want? You're PTs. Both of ya. But I'm not at PTC; I'd recognize it. So. Answer my questions. I may not be able to rip that stuff from you with your shields up, but I can tell whether you're lying or not. So start explaining." 

_ We are-- _

"No. Out loud." 

_ We'd better humor her. _

"That's right, you'd better humor me." A warning? 

"My name is Daria. I go by no other." 

"And I am Dave. You are here because we could not allow you to reach Kuru." 

Keranya appeared angry. "Why not?" 

"Because of our precogs. You would find a way to capture us. Not let us back out; _if_ you went to Kuru. Plus, our precogs told us something rather fascinating. Would you like to know what it is?" 

"Please," said Keranya, dripping with sarcasm, "I'm just _dying_ to know." 

"It said that if we took you, that somehow you would end the Yeerk war." 

Now Keranya sounded amused. "Stop the Yeerk war? Me? I always knew that you rogues-- that's what you are, right?-- were always a little-- ah, say, touched in the head?" 

The two older PTs refused to respond to this challenge. "We're just as confused about it as you are, Keranya," said Dave gently. "We have no intention of harming you." 

"I'd know if you did. So. What are you going to do with me? You can't send me back to Kuru, you can't trust me, and he apparently has no intention of harming me. What will you do?" 

Two other telepaths cane in, and the four of them hauled Keranya into a cell. Mind you, it was a nice cell, with a bed, a food dispenser, a carpet, and even some paintings on the wall. (Compliments of Mark, not that Keranya knew that.) Keranya, knowing that it would not help, did not try to break out or indeed break anything. She just sat down and thought. She shielded her thoughts, but you could tell that she was thinking. 

About an hour later, Mark was put into the cell, still posing as a loyal member of the PTC. 

"Mark!" she shrieked. "Are you all right?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine." _ Are you all right? Do you have any idea who these people are? _

_ They're rogues. _

_ Oh my god . . . _ "When did you wake up?" 

"Almost an hour ago." _ They seemed very surprised that I woke up so soon. _

"That long?" 

"Yeah." _ Did you see Nicola there? _

_ Yeah. She's also out. Are you sure that they can't tell how we're talking now? _ _ They may be able to tell, but they won't know what we're saying. _ "So. What should we do now?" 

"They have no intention of harming us, right?" _ Then sit tight, I guess. There's nothing that we can really do right now. _

"Right." It sounded like Keranya was saying right, they have no intention of harming us, but it was really her agreeing with him about sitting tight. _ We should really learn to coordinate this! _

* * * 

The floor shook. Keranya, Nicola, and Mark were thrown to the floor. "Ouch!" cried Nicola. 

"What's going on?" Mark spoke aloud for the still-latent Nicola's benefit. 

"I think that we're under attack." Keranya. 

"By who?" That was Nicola. 

_PTC, I hope._ "I don't know," said Mark aloud. 

One of the jolts made the camera fall to the floor. 

Keranya grinned. _ Are you thinking what I'm thinking? _she asked Mark. 

_Yep,_ he replied. In response, Keranya jumped up onto the bed and took a picture off the wall. There was a piece of wire on the back to put it up, and she pulled this off. She jumped down from the bed. 

"What are you doing?" asked Nicola. 

"Picking a lock. C'mon!" she shaped the wire and then thrust it into the little keyhole with wires in it. She took the wire again, and with it slit three wires: one red, two green. "Now, I'm sending a telepathic massage to it." Just then, the door opened. Keranya grinned. 

"Come on!" she said, waving them toward her as she slid out of the door into the hallway. Briefly pausing at the schematics print on the wall, she turned started running towards the communications room, Nicola and Mark running behind her. When they got there, to their surprise the door was opened. 

"Well, come on, let's see what's going on?" said Keranya. She punched in a few commands. "Onscreen!" she exclaimed. The blank screen suddenly lit up and showed the enemy fighters. Yeerk. 

"Damn!" hissed Mark and Keranya at the same time. Keranya hit in a few controls and put the microphone to her mouth. "Come in, come in, any ships in sector--" she looked at the console-- "51 by 8 by 12. Sector 16. Is anyone out there? Emergency. We're being attacked by the Yeerks. Repeat, we're being attacked by the Yeerks. This is the" she glanced down again "Freedom." Keranya made the message start to repeat itself, over and over, then she turned towards the other two. "If a message comes through, it'll go right to here, the bridge won't intercept it." 

"The Yeerks can't infest us, right?" asked Nicola. Keranya nodded. "So what'll happen?" 

"If they catch us? They'll kill us, most likely." 

"They'll _kill_ us?" whimpered Nicola. 

"All the more reason _not_ to get caught!" exclaimed Mark. 

"I'll drink to that," said Keranya. 

"Got a drink?" 

Keranya pointed to the food dispenser. "No alcohol, mister!" 

"Wouldn't dream of it." He turned to the dispenser. "A bottle of sparkling cider, please? With 3 glasses?" 

He got them, opened the fake champagne, and poured some into each glass. "To not getting killed by slugs?" 

"Hear, hear!" said Nicola and Keranya, raising their drinks and laughing. 

"Are you PTs always so crazy?" asked Nicola. "We're in the middle of a crisis, and you're having fake champagne!" 

"Yep, we are," said Mark. "You'll get used to us soon enough." 

"Doubt that." 

Suddenly, the COM blinked on. "We got your message, Freedom. We're coming." 

The three of them froze. It was as if they weren't able to move. 

"Better get over to the bay," said Mark after a few minutes. "That way we can get right on." 

As they were running down the halls, Mark yelled "Stop!" 

Keranya turned around. "What?" 

"Shouldn't we get the other people on the ship?" 

"WHAT?! Are you crazy? They captured us!" 

"They didn't harm us and aren't you the ones always saying that we PTs stick together? They're PTs too." Said Nicola, taking cue from Mark. 

Keranya sighed. "Fine, you and I will tell them. Mark, you go down and when they get here tell them to wait for us." The two girls broke off from Mark and headed towards the bridge. 

When they walked in, the crew seemed surprised, to say the least. "How did you get out?" demanded Dave angrily. 

"No _time_ for that, there's a ship here to pick us up! Come ON, or we're leaving without you! Down at the shipping bay." 

With that, Keranya and Nicola ran out, with the crew right behind them. Keranya could tell that the PTs weren't trying to capture them, just following them to the shipping bay. When they got there, the fighter was already there. 

"Wait for us!" yelled Daria, and all of them crowded onto the fighter. They looked over at the pilot. Human. 

The pilot was concentrating on the controls in the crowded fighter. He didn't look up for several minutes. When he finally did, he seemed surprised at the number of people in the shuttle. 

"We were wondering why hit was a child who called us," was the first thing out of his mouth. 

"'Cause I escaped and _they_ didn't know and didn't know that I sent out a distress signal." 

"Escaped? Escaped _what_?" 

"The cell!" said all three children in unison. 

The pilot jerked in surprise. "Why were you in a cell?" 

Keranya rolled her eyes. "To stop us from escaping and sending a message home, _duh_." 

"You were kidnapped?" 

"Well . . . yeah." 

"What? For ransom?" he turned angrily to the adults. 

"No, not for ransom!" said every single PT in there at once, including the kids. 

"Then for what?" 

"Their damn delusional precogs," muttered Keranya. 

"What? I didn't hear you, little girl." 

Everyone in the shuttle besides Keranya and the pilot held their breath to see what she would do. 

"Little girl? Little _girl_? I'll show you _little girl_!" she walked up to him, slowly and deliberately. She put her hand right in front of him. 

"Pain." She whispered, twisting her hand. "Pain." 

"Keranya, stop it right now!" said Daria. She came and pulled Keranya away. "Sorry," she said to the pilot, "Her past two weeks have been really tough." 

"You can say that again." Muttered Keranya. 

"You're PTs!" said the pilot. "You're all PTs. What, these kids were rogues? Is that the 'kidnapping'?" 

"No, the _adults_ are the rogues," groaned Mark. "_We're_ with the PTC," he said, indicating himself, Keranya and Nicola. "Can we _please_ go home now?" he added. 

"I'm sorry, but for now, we'll have to just keep you on our ship." It was remarkable that he kept his composure through this whole thing, but then, if he were an Animorph then he'd have learned how to discipline himself. 

When the ship arrived at the shipping bay, and the door opened, Keranya sent the go-ahead to Mark. The two of them together could shield themselves; nobody would be able to see them. They slipped away, unnoticed. Their illusion covered them. 

_ Where, exactly, are we going? _asked Mark. 

_ I don't know. A way back home. Something. _

They were running down the halls when they saw a group of young adults, probably in their mid- to-late 20's. One of them was younger than the rest. There was something familiar about them. Like they were important somehow, but she couldn't quite place it. She was watching them so closely that she ran into them and was so surprised that she dropped her illusion by mistake. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said one of the women. She offered her hand to Keranya, and Keranya grabbed it and pulled herself up. Keranya took advantage of the physical contact to do a quick scan. 

When she did the scan and realized who it was, she fell down again. "You're- you're the Animorphs! The original Animorphs! Well, mostly original." she exclaimed, finally using kinesis to pull herself up. 

"Yep, that's us." Said one of the guys. Black longish hair, tan-looking skin. He looked kind of Hispanic. 

"But . . . wha . . ." stuttered Keranya. _ Mark, get over here! _

In a few seconds, Mark, without his illusion, appeared. He took one look at the Animorphs and said, quite distinctly, "Tobias. Rachel. Jake. Cassie. Marco. Melissa. Karen." He said, pointing to each one in turn. "I heard about this. Didn't quite believe it. Well," he said, turning to Keranya, "Is this why you called me here?" Keranya nodded. 

"Wait a sec!" said the one Mark had identified as Jake. "She didn't call anyone!" 

"Yes, she did. Oh!" he said, looking at them, "They just got out. They don't know about PTs yet, Keranya. Don't confuse them. It's not good to try and confuse a legend. Legends." He corrected himself. 

_ I thought that you hated all 'danes and 'mutes _ said Keranya just as Cassie asked "PTs?" 

_ Not all, I guess. _ "PTs. Word for people with Psychic Talents." 

"You guys are psychic? Yeah, right." 

"I'll prove it!" exclaimed Keranya. Before Mark could stop her, she made an apple fly out of Cassie's hand and do a little show in the air, and then returned it to Cassie's hand. "Now do you believe me?" 

"What am I thinking?" challenged Marco. 

"56. You don't have to yell, you know!" 

Marco stood there, dumbfounded. 

"_Keranya!_" said Mark. "Stop it. Don't scare them!" 

"If _that_ scared the Animorphs, then I don't know how they survived so many battles." 

"I mean scared freak out." 

"They've had that in their time, too." 

"Oh, yeah." said Marco. 

Keranya looked at the Animorphs being silent. "What, are you mutes or something?." _No, Mark, I meant as in can't _ talk. 

"We can talk. It's just hard right now after just getting out of a stasis we've been in for hundreds of years." That was Cassie, if Keranya wasn't mistaken. 

The ship's security officers were running down the hall towards Keranya. "Whoops, gotta go!" she said quickly, and slipped away. 

"CATCH HER!!" yelled one of the officers, and Marco grabbed Keranya by the shirt. 

"Let me GO!" she screeched. She squirmed, struggled, and tried to kick Marco. He held on all the tighter. 

Keranya sighed. She hated to do this to an Animorph, but . . . _ You want to let her go. _

Marco let go of her, and Keranya, feeling a little guilty, slipped away into another corridor. She heard men talking into their links, and she knew that the whole ship must be alerted to her presence. Or was it a space station? She didn't know. And, with a groan, she realized that she'd lost Mark in the struggle. 

She wasn't sure where to go. _Well, to the COM room, duh, _ she thought. Then she wondered how she would find it. She telepathically scanned the area and could find to interior map or manual. Nothing. No com units to tell you where stuff was, no maps, no helper units, no schematics, no anything. _ How does anyone find their way around? _ she wondered. 

It occurred to Keranya that she could just scan for COM. It would have communication machines, right? Trying it, she realized that there were communication machines all over the ship. Okay, Plan B. 

This time, Keranya p'scanned for people who worked at COM. Bingo! She could tell from them where to go. Only one problem: there would be people _ in _ COM. 

Keranya decided to deal with that once she got there. For now, she'd settle on getting there. Sometimes it was a bit hazy, finding the way. But it was on Level 6. What level was this? 4. Okay, where's the turbo? Searching a passerby's mind, she found which way to go. Squeezing through the doors right before they closed with 2 people already in there, Keranya said to the computer "Level 6, Green sector." 

Okay, now all she had to do was find her way through the maze of corridors. Easier said then done. Most people just knew the way on automatic, and didn't have a handy little map in their heads that Keranya could use. What she wouldn't do for a "finder" PT right now. Better yet, herself be a finder. Luckily, nobody seemed to know that Keranya didn't belong there. That seemed to be the only thing going for her right now. 

Finally finding where she should be, she peeked into COM, seeing 4 people in there. Keranya just knocked them out telepathically. She didn't have time for anything subtle. 

As she slipped in, she quietly used kinesis to move the person in front of the LDCU (Long Distance Communication Unit) away and then stepped up to the unit and starting punching in the number for Kuru. In all her hurry, though, Keranya forgot one thing: security cameras. 

Within seconds of her realizing this the security officers were in there, the Animorphs at their heels. 

Keranya turned around. "Oh, yay." 

One of the security officers stepped forward. "Young lady, come with us." 

"No." said Keranya. 

"No?" asked the security officer, amused. 

"What right do you have to lock me up? What have I done?" 

"You've tried to escape custody--" 

"Custody that you have no right to enforce on me--" cut in Keranya. 

"When someone is suspected of being a rogue PT, then we certainly are allowed to take them into custody." 

"A _rogue_?" said Keranya, yes SAID, amused. "I'm not a rogue. I'm with the PTC." 

"Then why were you on a ship with other rogues?" he asked, moving closer only to encounter the kinetic shield that Keranya set up around her. 

"Because they kidnapped me . . ." 

"Yeah. Right. Take the shield down, now." 

"What's this about?" whispered Cassie to Rachel. 

"I've got no idea." She whispered back. 

Keranya, having heard them, turned to them. "What's it about? These people, who have no right to lock me up, are trying to do just that. They accuse me of something that I certainly did not do, and they're prejudice." 

"Prejudice? Against who?" snorted the security officer. 

"PTs. If I were a 'dane or 'mute, you'd give what I have to say half a chance!" 

"Why doesn't he just go and grab her?" whispered Karen to Cassie. 

"'Cause I put a kinetic shield around me." Said Keranya to Karen, having heard her. The security officer, in the meantime, seemed very nervous, with good reason. If Keranya chose to follow through with a PT prejudice sue, she could win, and both of them knew it. 

"Okay," he said, "here's the deal. You call Kuru. Right here, right now. If they don't recognize you or say that you are a rogue, then you come with us. If they recognize you, you will be free on this ship until it is convenient to send you home. 

"Which will get me home faster?" 

"Neither. But I'm sure you'd rather be free?" 

"_If_ you let Nicola and Mark free, too." 

It was Jake who spoke up then. "I don't know about Nicola, but as far as Mark . . . that may be a little problem." 

"Why?" asked Keranya. 

* * * 

From a collective cell one floor up and 6 sections away, Mark could feel Keranya's shock, outrage, anger, and the feeling of betrayal. 

The others in the cell didn't feel it, but they saw the look on Mark's face. Daria walked over. "I'm guessing they told her?" 

Mark nodded. "Yeah. They told her. I don't think she'll ever forgive me." 

Daria nodded sadly. "I can tell that it was very hard for you to lie to her. You really care about her." 

Mark nodded. "I lied to the officials, the teachers, and blocked the truth since I was 6. And yet lying to Keranya was like . . . like I couldn't keep it blocked. I really felt like scum for lying to her." 

Daria smiled sadly. "That's what it's like, when you care for someone." 

Mark looked at her. "And I can't go back; they know now, the PTC. I have to stay with you guys all the time." 

"Well," said Keith, stepping over, "You are welcome to stay with us." 

"I know," said Mark softly. 

"You really did care about her, didn't you?" 

"Yeah. I did. I do." 

Kerry, who was young and just became a PT, spoke up. "But she's the enemy. How can you love one of the enemy?" 

"Hush, Kerry," said Daria. "No PT is an enemy, they may merely be misguided. Besides, you will learn that the heart knows neither borders nor boundaries. Now let's leave Mark alone for a little while." 

Mark smiled thanks. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to be alone for a while." They moved away, but Kerry stayed a second. 

"I just have one question," she said. 

"Yes, what is that?" 

"How did you keep the secret from other telepaths?" 

Mark laughed. "That wasn't hard. When I was 6 I was told to keep the secret. Blocking so hard during the testing, they rated me at the place where I am while I'm blocking hard, therefor leaving me free to block and live up to their expectations at the same time." 

"Oh." Said Kerry. She turned and walked away. 

_ Keranya, I didn't want to lie to you, do you understand? I wanted to be honest with you. _

He heard a sobbing Keranya on the other end. Without his blocks up so tight, he was ever so much stronger. _ Why did you do it, Mark? _ she asked agitatedly. _ I cared about you. Why did you do it? _

_ I had to do it. I had to! I didn't want to lie to you. But I didn't want to go to re-education camps either. I had to keep my secret. _ Mark sent to her. (A/N: The re-education camps are for rogues, PTs who refuse to join.)

_ Why are you with the rogues? _

Have you taken a look around the PTC? Who's the director? Who's the administrator? Who's the representative? Who's almost everyone _ in power? _

Mundanes, Keranya realized, understanding. _ You don't want to be in it because it's run by mundanes. _

I'm not _ going to have my life planned by _ mundanes! He sent. 

_ Then help us. Help us overthrow the normals and take our rightful place. _

Mark laughed, remembering his early childhood complaint to one of his friends at PTC: "What's the point of having superior brains if we can't _ use _ them?" He could just imagine Keranya saying it. 

He was mildly aware that Keranya was setting the COM to contact Kuru. He considered jumbling her thoughts, making her too confused to make the call, but he knew that he wouldn't do that. He still cared about Keranya. And he'd have to think long and hard about participating in the PT War all the precogs were picking up but didn't tell 'danes about. 

* * * 

Keranya felt the connection severed, and she was too broken up right now to try to re-connect. She concentrated on aligning the arrays to broadcast to Kuru. Getting that done, all she had to do was type in the number for Kuru. 

She hesitated for a moment, then typed in DNN7809SK5 slowly. The familiar face of PT-Cop Hirano showed up. 

"Keranya! What happened to you? We've been worried sick." 

"Sir, you know this girl?" 

"Of course I _know_ her! We've been looking everywhere for her! Where are you?" 

"Told ya," said Keranya smugly. Just then, the picture started breaking up. 

Aliens who were using thought-speak were using communications that were interfering with the alignments. Keranya tried to get a visual. 

"What are you doing?" demanded the security officer. 

"Getting a visual. I want to see these guys!" 

"Out of the question. You'll--" 

Marco spoke up. "Let her get a visual. I'd like to see them, too." 

"Okay," allowed the officer. Keranya continued adjusting controls. 

When she got a visual, she was almost sorry she did. These aliens weren't pretty, and she didn't like the vibes she got from them. They were roughly triangular with a point toward the top. Their eyes were stuck on short stalks and were pink as a rabbit's. They had mouths, but didn't use them to communicate. They pretty much closed, opening every few minutes to suck in air and reveal a fat blue tongue, along with tiny, blue-tinged teeth. Not pretty. 

On sight, Rachel and Marco gasped, and Cassie whispered a word. 

"What?" asked Keranya. "You _know_ these guys?" 

"Yeah. Yeah, you could say that." Said Jake. "Maybe we should connect with them." 

"Definitely," said Tobias. "Let's go to the captain." 

Keranya followed them, and nobody seemed to object. Maybe it was because in their excitement they forgot to tell her to get lost; maybe it was because the officer was afraid of that lawsuit; whatever, she really didn't care. She was just taking advantage of being there. 

When they got to the captain's office, the Animorphs were discreet. All they said was that this was "a solution", and that they should hook up with the aliens as soon as possible. Keranya restrained herself from probing their minds. She suspected that she'd find out soon enough. 

Anyone would find it hard to deny a request made by the Animorphs. Karen and Melissa still seemed dazed, so Keranya figured that they weren't part of the Animorphs yet when the Animorphs went on this mission. That was believable. 

After contacting those aliens again (Keranya still didn't know their name), Keranya got the general gist that it would be soon. That was good, cause she would be there. And this was something that she wanted to see! 

* * * 

Mark was still in the holding cell when he caught all the excitement. Feeling around with his mind, he 'found' Keranya. 

_ Okay, _ he said, _ I know that you're pissed at me. You probably will be for the rest of your natural life. I understand that. I would be too. But would you please, _ please, PLEASE, _ tell me what's going on? _

He heard a mental sigh. _ Out here, I'm just as clueless. Something's going on. We're hooking up with some new type of alien species. Beyond that? No clue. _

_ Well, at least you'll talk to me. _

I probably shouldn't. Everything you've said, everything you've done-- it's all been a lie, hasn't it? Your whole life has been a lie. 

Yes. It has. But do you think that makes me happy? I don't like lying. I hate living a lie. But I'm sort of stuck in a trap. I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do, can you understand that? Mark had never been this open to anyone, but all at once he felt everything spilling out of him. _ I can't go back to the PTC, because they'll know and I'll be sent to a re-education camp. I can't stay here, because we're in custody and, well, I guess I'm off to the re-education camps anyway. Yep, I see re-education in my future every way I could go. _

He could feel Keranya considering this. _If you come clean about this, to the PTC, then I think that you can slip by without that much punishment. _

Mark tried to convey his feelings. _ It's more complicated than that. Can you tell what I feel? _

Yes. I can. And I don't know what to tell you. Only that I understand how difficult and complicated the situation is. Mind you, that does not mean that I forgive you! 

What does it mean, then? 

He could feel her feelings, and wondered if she was deliberately transmitting them. _ It means that someday I _will_ forgive you, _ she whispered into his mind. 

Suddenly, Mark felt the ship shake. _ What's going on? _

_ The aliens are here. Gee, that was quick! _ Suddenly, he was inside of her. They were both there, together, inside her body, both looking out, both seeing. 

Both seeing the strangely colorful ship, looking like it was built from some sort of children's book. Both seeing it dock. Both seeing the rather ugly, triangular-shaped aliens come out of their odd ship. And both of them seeing them extend a hand to the humans. 

=Hello=, they said in thought-speak. =We are the Iskoort.= 

_ Loved it? Hated it? E-mail me at HoneyB87@aol.com and tell me with questions, comments, etc. I like criticism, as long as it's constructive criticism. And put in a review! Remember it's my VERY FIRST FINISHED FIC!!!!!! So be nice, okay? Oh, and I know it seems kind of final, but there is room for a sequel. The PT war, Keranya and Mark, is Nicola a PT? What happens after a major war? If you want a sequel, tell me. If not, I'll probably write it anyway. Thanks! _


	3. A Big Surprise--For More Than One

Of A Different Kind, Part 3

__

By Anisky 

Disclaimer: See Part One 

A/N: Alright, I wasn't planning on writing any more of this at all. However, a friend of mine begged, so I hauled out what I had handwritten and sat down to type it up. *grumbles and glares at Saber Tooth* So, I go through formatting it, and what happens? IT GETS LOST AGAIN!! So now I'm doing this all over again. *glares even more* This had better be worth it… *mutters* Oh, and this is about, oh, say, a month after the end of Part 2.   
Okay, MOST of this was written about eight or nine months ago, so it's not very good. I was still an awful, redundant, cliché author back then-- who knows, maybe I still am. But the end of this, I have to write that. *sigh* I HAD gone through the rest of it, making these parts better…but now that it decided to erase itself (my STUPID computer!), I'm not going to edit it in as much detail. I will a little, but … not as much. *sticks her tongue out at the computer, gets out the sheet of paper, clips it up, and starts typing the story onto word processor* 

"But we can't do that!" exclaimed Captain Harpian. "We're needed--" 

"You're needed, Captain," said the Admiral wearily, "to take those people where they belong." 

"But--" 

"The Yeerk War is over, Captain Harpian," the admiral cut off Harpian. "What we need now are bioengineers, not soldiers!" 

Harpian sighed. She thought that this entire process was a bad idea. The Yeerks should be eradicated, killed off. Just because there was a solution now for their problem didn't mean that those aliens should be forgiven for all the evil they'd done. However, Harpian wasn't in a position of a lot of power, so she could do nothing. "Very well, Admiral Balkentrea." 

The screen blanked and Captain Alari Harpian turned away and started down towards the cell where the rogue PTs were being kept. Her heart always leapt out when she saw the children. There weren't any _really_ little children, like babies and toddlers, but there were young children. Nine, eight, even one 7-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. However, none of these kids cried or made a lot of noise. That was the weird thing. They didn't act like kids. They didn't act their age. They acted . . . mature. Adult. 

When Alari got to the holding cell, she saw the PT prisoners deep in concentration. Like they were meditating. 

"Okay, what are you doing?" she asked calmly. She didn't feel calm, of course; these PTs were mysterious, and you couldn't trust them. 

They all came out of whatever it was, looking at the intruder. "None of your concern," one of them informed her coolly, leaning back against a bulkhead. 

"If you're trying to escape, it won't work," Harpian informed them neutrally. "Not even with kinesis." 

"We weren't trying to escape," replied the one who seemed to be the leader. 

"You can't use telempathy, either. We've set it up so that only someone outside this room can open it, and they'll know if something's up," Harpian continued, making sure that all possibilities were covered. She was half reassuring herself as she was reminding them of what they couldn't do. 

"We know." 

"Then get out of my head," said Alari, still maintaining her calm appearance. How else would they know, _could_ they know, unless they were reading her mind? 

"We aren't in it," the leader sneered. "You 'danes. You expect us to set up blocks utterly exhausting to maintain just so that we won't pick up on thoughts that you're broadcasting loudly enough to be heard halfway across the ship! I could tell anything about you that I wanted to…_not _that I especially do," he sniffed, looking at her in disgust. The man paused to let that sink in. "I know that you don't want to take us back ASAP but you have to, and that frankly, you don't like our kind very much." 

Harpian sighed. "Are you finished?" These rogues were way above where they should be. In Alari's mind, as soon as they were back under the control of the PTC, the better. They made her too nervous. Not that she ever wanted them to know that. She would _never_ let them know. 

They, of course, already knew. "For now we are. But we'll always speak up again. We'll speak until our opinions are heard," another PT spoke up arrogantly. 

The captain sighed. That was the problem with PTs. They were determined, disciplined, and very, very stubborn. And Harpian didn't care if they "heard" _that_, except maybe that they might take it as a compliment. 

Just then, the six-year-old girl came up. "It's cramped in here," she said plaintively, with a pleading look in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry," said Harpian, her heart warming slightly, though not very much, "But you have to--" 

"We'll watch her." Harpian spun around to see Keranya and Nicola standing by the door. It was Keranya who had spoken, with an unreadable look on her face. "I promise, I won't let her out of my sight. But she needs some room. All young kids do." She gave the little girl a tender look, something that Harpian hadn't seen yet from the girl who was at most other times so cold. 

Keranya turned to look at the Captain again. "I'm not using telempathy. And I won't. But surely you can feel for a young child, cramped and trapped?" 

Harpian gave in; partly because she didn't want to deal with Keranya bugging her. Partly-- and this she barely even admitted to herself-- was because she _did _feel sorry for the little girl, much as she didn't want to admit it. "Alright. But you're responsible for her. Oh, and you can take the young boy, as long as you only take one at a time." 

"Thank you," said Keranya curtly, as if she didn't quite feel like Harpian should be thanked; it wasn't enough, not nearly, but they had to take what they had in this situation. 

Harpian turned and left, leaving the PTs alone. The monitor was still watching, of course, so they had to use telepathy to say anything that they didn't want him to hear.

Keranya looked at the PTs. "Will you let me take her with me?" _She deserves to get out. I'll take her to the gym; I can get a few games for her. You know that I won't hurt her. _

The rogue whom Keranya recognized as Derasa smiled, with an expression that couldn't quite be placed; mostly a bit of distrust that was at the same time mixed with possible trust…_ You will not try to force your beliefs on her? _

My beliefs? asked Keranya silently. _Why, my beliefs are the same as yours. That all PTs are the same. Family. _Keranya closed her eyes. _Hard as it may be to believe, that's always in the background, always there, at Kuru. And the time will come when the "legal" PTs will no longer be controlled by normals. The only difference between us is that I am willing to wait, because I believe that it will not be that long, and I must have patience._

__

You may be waiting forever. We must act NOW! one of the younger ones burst out. 

Keranya opened her eyes again, looking at the faces of the rogues. They did appear more accepting of the girl; although, they never were very hostile towards her to begin with. "And that is only one difference-- act now versus wait and plan and consider is really the only difference between us." She said aloud. 

The little girl, whose name was Mayri, looked up and said, "Can I go play now?" Her eyes looked into Keranya's, pleading. Every telepath and telempath in the room felt the feeling of intense discomfort from the little child.

Keranya gave the small girl a half-sad smile. "Sure," she said, and gestured to the person who operated the magnetic field that even kinetics couldn't get by. 

The speaker came on. "Negative. They will all try to escape." 

"No they won't," contradicted Keranya. "They know that there's nowhere to go." 

"You can't be sure that they won't escape." 

"Yes I can. I'm a telepath, remember." 

The operator reeked annoyance so strongly that even the weakest telempath could feel it. Most of the PTs winced. The operator did take down the magnetic shield, however, just long enough for Mayri to get out. In fact, he put it back up before Mayri was fully out, and the small girl had to jump forward to avoid being singed. Keranya's eyes burned with fury towards the 'dane, but she remained silent, knowing there was nothing that she could do. She grabbed one of Mayri's hands gently, and Nicola took the other. 

"Come on, Mayri," said Nicola quietly, guiding the younger girl towards the door and into the corridor. They set off in the direction of the gym. 

"Why am I locked up?" asked Mayri. Probing, Keranya saw that she really didn't know why. Keranya felt her innocence and her wondering, and Keranya's heart broke a little bit more. "What did I do wrong?" Mayri asked. 

Keranya bent down, putting her hands on her knees, bringing herself face-to-face with the young child. "You did nothing wrong," said Keranya gently. "And in all rights, your parents shouldn't be locked up either. But the 'danes are afraid of us. They want to keep us in one place, and the people you're with don't want their lives controlled by those who hate them. They aren't exactly in the wrong-- if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is a difference between what is the law and what is right." Keranya laughed softly. "I don't expect you to understand all this now. Just remember that you did /nothing wrong/." 

As Keranya stood up, Mayri said nothing. Mayri understood partly what Keranya was saying. She understood about how her parents, and the kith, they didn't want to be controlled by normals. But what Mayri _didn't_ understand was why the people who made the laws weren't fair. Why didn't the people choose the laws do the thing that was right? 

However, Mayri didn't hate the normals, even if they were the ones who made the bad laws. No, she felt a very strange mix of feelings-- part anger, but also a large part pity-- for the normals. 

* * *

"I wonder why they didn't 'feel' that we were here?" asked Cassie with tears in her eyes. 

"Maybe it was she wasn't concentrating on anything but her feelings. And on that little girl," replied Tobias, a look on his face that couldn't quite be identified; there was definite sadness in it, though. 

"They really are discriminated against, aren't they?" asked Melissa, looking off towards the corridor where the three children had left through. 

"Seems like it," agreed Rachel. "They're too proud to admit it, but I think that they really have a hard time with most . . . what did they call us?" 

Karen shrugged. "I forget, but either way, you're right. I wonder if there is a way we could help." 

"Probably not," said Marco, "I doubt anyone has enough power for that, and even if they did the public would throw them out of office as soon as they even _thought_ about putting out such a law. Anyway, we can't help _them, _they hate us." 

"They don't hate us," said Cassie quietly. "They pity us, they are angry with us, they dislike us, even. But they don't hate us." 

"How do_ you_ know?" asked Marco bitterly. "Are you a-- what did they call it?-- a PT, too?" 

Rachel shook her head, looking disbelieving. "Those years in the tubes did nothing for your intelligence, did they Marco?" she snorted. "She can tell because of the way they talk, from their body language. She uses her brain-- something you should try some time." 

* * *

Keranya was aware of the Animorphs following them. She hadn't realized that they had been listening in on her talk with Mayri and mentally berated herself for being so careless. She was glad to see that they had nothing but good intentions. Well, she couldn't see into Marco's or Rachel's minds, and from what she'd learned, they were the ones who would have something else; however, she could tell from the way there were acting that they weren't bigots. Keranya mentally snorted, thinking of all of those 'danes who thought that all PTs were bad and should be locked up just because of what they could do. A perfect example of this was Alari Harpian, the captain of this ship. 

Come to think of it, two 'mutes in a group of seven was very rare. Only about 1 in 350 had a mental shield. 

Keranya showed no indication that she could feel the Animorphs, and neither did Mayri, although both of them felt it. Suddenly Keranya had an idea. 

__

Mayri, what is your PT? Do you have telempathy? Keranya queried of the younger girl.

__

Yes. And telepathy, obviously. Why? 

Because both of us, using telempathy, can bring latent PT out of its latency. 

Mayri gasped. 

"What?" asked Nicola. "Oh, you're leaving me out again with telepathy, aren't you?" 

The two telepaths could feel some Animorph spike of alarm at that; for all they did have good intentions and weren't prejudice, they _were _a bit nervous of the children's telepathic powers. 

Keranya smiled. "If this works, then . . ." she and Mayri grabbed hands and concentrated hard. 

"What are you--" started Nicola, who then stopped, and put her hands to the sides of her head and fell to her knees.

Mayri and Keranya broke apart, and heard a yell of pain that wasn't from Nicola. Turning, she saw that Rachel was on the floor, writhing in pain. Keranya gasped. 

"Mayri, do you know how to help Nicola?" asked Keranya urgently. At the younger girl's nod, she gestured that Mayri should do so. Mayri knelt beside Nicola, whispering soothing words and instructions. Keranya ran over to Rachel. 

"What's going on?" cried Tobias. 

Keranya gestured for him to be quiet. "Not now," she said. Then, turning to Rachel, she said, "Rachel, can you hear me?" 

"Y--yes," said Rachel shakily. 

"Imagine a wall in front of your eyes. Rock hard. That's good. Now extend the wall all around you. Not cracks. It's completely solid. Good," said Keranya as Rachel began to calm down. She was still shaking, but the look in her eyes wasn't quite as panicky, and she could take breaths that were frantic gasps for air. By the time security came to see what the commotion was, Rachel and Nicola both had thin but adequate blocks. 

"What, exactly, is going on?" asked Harpian, seeming very annoyed. 

"I'm sure that everyone here would like to know that," started Keranya patiently. "You might as well get comfortable. It'll take a while to explain. And while we're at it, you might want to check up on the rogues." 

"Why?" asked Harpian guardedly. She didn't like the sound of this. 

"PT doesn't always emerge at the same time if you have more than one of them," explained Keranya. 

"Wait, wait, wait!" cried Tobias. "Are you saying that Rachel is whatever you said? One of you guys? How is that possible, they weren't around yet when she was born!" 

"We aren't yet sure what causes PT," said Keranya. "The first verifiable PT emerged only about 15 years after you went into stasis, and the first emergent was 33. People came right after him, of course, and one of the people was really born about 2 months after Rachel. I think that it's entirely possible that Rachel was-- is-- a PT. And I think that another of you is, too, which is weird, because 2 out of 7 isn't exactly 1 in 4000." 

"What makes you say that you think another of us is a PT?" asked Karen. 

"Different people react to PT, especially different PT, in different ways." Keranya rubbed her temples, trying to figure out what was going on, why there was a concentration right here, why the odds were so skewed with the Animorphs. 

"So?" asked Jake. 

"_So_, your friend over there," Keranya gestured to Marco, taking her hands from her head, "is pale, pure white, practically, shaking, and not moving or speaking." 

Turning, the Animorphs saw that she was right; he looked practically like a ghost, frozen in place. 

"Hold it!" yelled Melissa. "Are you saying that Marco is one of these PT things too? As you said, 2 out of 7 is kind of . . . improbable with the statistics that _you_ said." 

Keranya sighed. "Yeah…" she muttered, trying to figure it out herself. Suddenly, she remembered something that she learned with and with a flash of inspiration, grinned. "But two twenty-first century scientists, Dr. Eeranson came up with the theory that Extrasensory Perceptions, otherwise known as ESP or PT, is caused by a connection in the person's brain to the fourth dimension. Well," she said, her expression truly devious, "Happen to know any higher-dimensional beings?" 

"The Ellimist!" exclaimed all of the five unaffected Animorphs at once. 

Keranya, remembering the other girl suddenly, turned to check on Nicola. She was in about the same condition as Rachel, perhaps a bit better. Mayri was dealing with her adequately. "We'd better get them some help. And, much as I hate to even think it," some of the very observant noticed that Keranya didn't sound quite sincere in saying that, "the Rogues are the only ones who know what to do for them." 

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed Harpian immediately. "They might--" 

"Might what?" asked Keranya scornfully. "Brainwash them? Make them turn into evil rogues? Kill them? I think you misunderstand these guys. They dislike /normals/. They wouldn't harm a PT. We need them right now, captain, I don't know how to help emergent PTs. I was going to specialize in . . . other things." She didn't specify what they were, but the way she said it sent a shudder through many of the others. 

Keranya kept a surface scan up on Harpian. She shuddered at the intensity of Harpian's…dislike…of PTs. The woman always seemed nervous around them, too. She _really_ didn't like the idea of asking the rogues for help, but she did recognize that there was really no other choice; Harpian had no idea what do to. So she would do what seemed to be the only option, since she didn't want to appear an incompetent. 

Harpian sighed. "Fine," she said, already starting to regret it.

"Can you walk?" Keranya asked Rachel gently. 

"I-- I-- I th-thin-think s-s-s-so," stuttered Rachel. She tried to get up, stumbling. She groaned. 

"Maybe not," Keranya said for Rachel. "Tobias? Can you carry her?" 

Tobias nodded, and picked her up. 

"Nicola, can you walk?" 

"Uh . . . yeah." She seemed out of it, and off balance. 

"Mayri, help her along, okay? I don't think that Nicola needs to be carried, but I think she needs some help balancing. 

"Sure," agreed Mayri, her expression much too serious for her scant six-year-old body. 

"Uh-oh," remembered Keranya suddenly, slapping her hand to her head and looking at Marco. "Change of plans. I know from personal experience that Marco will not move a muscle. I don't know how we'll move him." 

Mayri's wide eyes turned towards the group. "We can bring specialized rogues here. They know that there's nowhere to run. If you take Marilan, Jarris, and Dave, it's not like they're the whole group, and it's not like if you use some guards they can get out." 

Captain Harpian looked at Mayri in amazement. "How old are you again?" 

Mayri looked at Harpian, expressionless, which looks quite strange on such a young face. "These guys need help very soon, captain. Will we help them, or let them suffer?" 

Captain Harpian gestured to her officers. "Take the child-- she'll tell you who to take. Take three rogues-- _no more_." 

The officers nodded, turning around and walking off briskly. Mayri's small legs had to trot just to keep up with their longer ones, but the officers made no move to slacken their pace. 

__

Pretty stupid thing we did, huh? asked Keranya, tired. 

__

Maybe not, replied Mayri. 

__

Yeah. We may not have found out that an Animorph, two of them in fact, are PTs. Plus, we now have a new theory on the cause of PT . . . 

Keranya had put Nicola and Rachel rear each other so that she could keep an eye on both. Nicola was in better shape than Rachel, and after some minor "tests", Keranya realized that it was because Rachel was the stronger PT, not because Mayri knew how to deal with it better. _What a relief!_ she thought to herself, but kept it tightly sealed within her mind, so that she wouldn't insult Mayri. 

Three PTs, escorted by the security officers, came into the corridor. The PTs didn't ask questions, nor did they hesistate, immediately going to work with the three emergent PTs. There were three rogues, so Nicola, Marco, and Rachel each had someone to take care of them. Each rogue PT seemed to know how to deal with each of the particular coping mechanisms used. Jarris actually got Marco out of his trance within minutes, which was quite impressive. Probably better than most healers at the PTC could have done. 

Rachel was much calmer and had up a strong block. No doubt about it-- Rachel was a telepath, a strong one. She also seemed to have kinetic abilities. Nicola also seemed to be telepathic, just not so painfully strong. 

Marco-- she wasn't sure of him. He was definitely a PT, but what his PT was…Keranya couldn't guess, which was very odd. Normally she could tell what PT someone had, from their actions, from their reactions; but with Marco, she couldn't tell. 

* * *

As soon as she was okay, Rachel left the room angrily. She had a very large bone to pick with a certain being. "Ellimist!" she yelled. For a few moments nothing happened, and she prepared to yell the name again. However, before she could the world around her swirled, and Rachel felt dizzy. The all-too-familiar blue mist surrounded her. 

"Yes?" he (she? It?) asked. 

"What did you _do_ to Marco and I?" 

"Do?" (He?) asked innocently. "Why, I just gave you some . . . gifts." 

"Gifts?" shrieked Rachel. "_Gifts_? I never wanted anything like this! It _hurts_!" 

"You can learn to control it." 

Rachel gritted her teeth. "You had no right. Whatever weird experiment you did, I don't know, but--" 

"Sorry, it's non-returnable," said the Ellimist, answering her demand before she'd voiced it. "You'll have to deal with it. If it's any consolation, you'll still be fighting a war." 

"What?" Rachel was aghast. "Against who?" 

But the Ellimist disappeared, and Rachel was sent back to the room. "ARGH!" she screamed, pounding her fist against the wall. She took a deep breath, and calmed herself. "I really hate it when he does that," she groaned. Rachel took one last calming breath, and walked back into the room where everybody else was. 

"Yep," she said, "it was the Ellimist, alright." 

"How can you be sure?" asked Keranya. 

"He admitted it. Freely." 

"You _spoke _with him?" Keranya was amazed, and maybe even a little envious. "I thought that the fact that the original Animorphs were in semi-regular contact with him was a myth!" 

"I wish that it was," groaned Jake. 

Suddenly, the world whirled again, and Animorphs and Keranya went to into the familiar blue mist once again; the first time for Keranya. 

"Not again," groaned Melissa. "Speak of the devil . . ." 

Just then, the Ellimist appeared, in a shape of a human. The Animorphs weren't familiar with the body; they figured that it was just some random image that he chose to take. However, someone there _did_ recognize it. Keranya cried out in anger and lunged to ram him. He simply disappeared, and re-appeared somewhere else. 

"Very good, Keranya. I'm surprised that you remember." 

Keranya made a noise in her throat that sounded very much like a growl. "Stop using his body!" 

"Why, Keranya, you misunderstand. This is simply the body I used on my seven year, ah, say, vacation to earth." 

Keranya had turned white. Completely white. "No." she whispered. "No. You're lying." 

"What's going on?" asked Melissa. 

"I think that it's a Darth Vader situation," said Marco. 

Keranya turned on him, angry. "How _dare _you make this into a joke!" she screamed. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she made a gesture angrily, and suddenly Marco was gasping for breath. He pulled at the side of his shirt, choking. (A/N: Yeah, it **is** a Darth Vader situation, isn't it?) You can't really blame Keranya for her rash, anger-driven move; after all, she had just gotten the shock of her life.

The Ellimist sighed. "Keranya, let him go." She reluctantly let her hand fall to her side, and Marco drew in breath. 

"I wish to speak with Keranya now. Goodbye," the Ellimist said, waving his hand. The Animorphs disappeared. 

Keranya turned angrily towards the Ellimist. "Alright, what do you want?" She crossed her arms.

The Ellimist seemed amused. He smiled again, an action that Keranya was starting to find extremely annoying. "You are so sure that I want something." 

Keranya snorted. "Of course you do. Why else would you tell me now? If you just wanted me to know, you would have told me a long time ago. So. What do you want?" 

The Ellimist looked at her. "I can't just want to say 'hi' to my daughter?" 

Keranya didn't say anything, but her body language was screaming "no." She raised an eyebrow, looking at the Ellimist-- she _couldn't_ think of him as her father-- expectantly. 

"You do not even know me, and yet you are so sure?" 

"Yes. What do you want?" she asked shortly, completely sure of herself. 

As it turned out, she was right. The Ellimist hesitated, then said, "Make sure that the rogues aren't punished, and are unofficially taken in preparation for what you know is coming." 

Keranya's jaw dropped. "I knew that you wanted something -- but this! To do that-- to convince the PTC, to convince the _rogues_; it's practically impossible. I'm not a miracle worker." 

The Ellimist raised his eyebrows and started to speak. 

"_Don't_ even go there," Keranya warned him. 

"I wouldn't ask you to if you weren't able," said the Ellimist. Then, suddenly, Keranya was back in the room with the Animorphs. 

"What's wrong?" asked Cassie, noting Keranya's anger. 

"He wants me to do the impossible," her anger was masked very thinly. She stormed out. 

"Uh, guys?" asked Melissa. "Did you happen to notice that not only did the other people here not interrupt us, but we seemed to forget entirely about them? Do you think that it's coincidence, or--" 

A scream from the other room cut Melissa off, also effectively answering her question. "Well, there's our answer." 

They went rushing into the other room to find everyone, save Keranya and the Animorphs, frozen, unmoving. 

"I hate it when he does this, too. Hey Ellimist!" Karen yelled. "Turn it off!" There was no response. "Darn," she groaned. "What do we do?" 

Keranya was all white. "This is a lesson, in more ways than one." 

"Huh?" asked Marco. The young PT girl ignored him. 

Keranya closed her eyes and concentrated, hard. Rachel could "see" her picturing them moving. That not working, Keranya realized that she must be part higher dimensional and thought something that Rachel, with a 3D brain, couldn't comprehend. They started moving again. 

When the others saw the eight people, not in the same place, everyone looked shocked. It was as if all of a sudden, they had all disappeared and reappeared in slightly different positions. From the point of view of everyone who had been frozen, that _was _what had taken place.

"Exactly _what_ happened?" asked Harpian. 

"Uh…" said Marco. 

"Um…" fidgeted Karen. 

"Can we not talk about it?" asked Keranya dejectedly. She suddenly got angry again. "You guys are the _Animorphs,_ why are you letting a ship captain boss you around? What happened is the business of nobody but us. Of _me_." 

Looking suspiciously at Keranya, Harpian said, "Fine." 

Keranya looked relieved, walking slowly out of the room, deep in thought. 

* * *

__

Keranya, thought Mark, _What's going on?_ Strangely enough, for the tiniest fraction of a second, he couldn't feel her mind. When he immediately felt her presence again, he shook it off, telling himself that it was just his imagination. 

Keranya was so agitated that Mark shuddered. _Uh, Keranya? I don't know _what _exactly you and Mayri did-- she refuses to tell us-- but I know the signs, and some PT just came out of latency for me. _

Mark, I SO do not feel like this right now! 

Okay, okay, Keranya, he p'said, concerned, _What happened?_

__

A shock. A major shock. Don't try to dig it out. Luckily for you, this means that I'll have to advocate you guys. Unfortunately for Keranya, the anger that she was pretending to have over that didn't extend to her thoughts.

Mark sighed. Whatever happened to Keranya was big, that much was clear. He would, however, respect her privacy and not scan it out of her. Mark could see her emotions and whatever happened was MAJOR. 

__

Yep, p'said Keranya_, and the fact that Rachel and Marco the Animorphs are PTs is just the smallest shock. _

Mark's jaw dropped. The _Animorphs_? That was certainly big, and for all the tried he couldn't think of anything that could be bigger. 

__

You have my curiosity sparked so much and won't tell me what's going on? That's plain cruel! 

Sorry. I don't want to talk about it, Keranya repeated. 

__

Oh. Okay. Got it. I'll just sit here and wonder. 

Good. 

Mark sighed. Maybe he'd find out later. Whatever it was had Keranya _really_ upset. And he knew, admittedly secondhand, that her anger is not fun. Of course, the same could be said of himself. 

__

Wait a sec, Mark didn't send that-- in fact, he kept it tightly sealed. Mark had an idea; if Rachel and Marco are PTs…maybe one of them is a telepath. It was worth a try, there wasn't anything to lose really…_except for Keranya's trust_, a little voice in his head told him. He ignored it. 

__

Marco? Rachel? Mark p'sent, hoping that Keranya didn't "hear". 

__

Uh … who is that? the p'voice p'sounded female, as far as Mark could tell. 

__

Rachel? he asked. 

__

Yeah. I must be going crazy. Voices in my head. She gave a little mental smile, and Mark was surprised at how much power he sensed in the Animorph's mind.

__

You're not crazy. You're just a telepath. 

__

Is there a difference? wondered Rachel. _Anyway, yeah, I am, thanks to the Ellimist. _Her mind's voice did not sound happy, but Mark was not concentrating on that. 

Mark practically fell over hearing that. _What? _

Didn't you know? Oh, yeah, of course you didn't. He created PTs. Rachel said this perfectly calmly, as if she was commenting on the weather (if it had existed in space-- admittedly they would all be pretty excited if there happened to be an atmosphere in the middle of a vacuum).

Mark was flabbergasted, to say the least. The Ellimist created PT's? That was certainly major. _Oh…Wow! Is that what has Keranya all upset and all? _

No. Well, not mostly. The fact that the Ellimist is her father, is what has her upset. 

WHAT?! She couldn't have already known, of course…he wasn't surprised that she didn't want to tell him. He was almost sorry that he'd found out when she didn't want him to--keyword, almost. 

__

Yeah, she just found out. This way of talking is easy…uh-oh, 'Ranya's pissed. I think she knows that I told. See ya… and Rachel's voice was gone. 

A/N: Okay, take back what I said at the beginning. I didn't add in the end, and I DID do some correcting. I went through and changed what could *_easily*_ be made better, and even so it took me almost an hour. This _isn't _all that I had written down on paper about the story…not even close. However, I shouldn't be working on this, I should be doing "school" stuff, so … I'm leaving off here.   
Okay, I'm working on it, and I'll have one or two more out. I hope you're happy, Saber Tooth, I really do … *mutters* And the rest of you, well, I hope that _you _enjoyed it too … probably not, as I wrote it a long time ago, but hey, one can hope. (I didn't like it, but that's besides the point…)


End file.
